Gas-meter.



No. 715,564.v Patented Dec. 9, |902..

. J. B. DUPUY.

GAS METER.

' (Application filed Apr. 24. 1901.)

l(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shest l...

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

JEAN ROMAIN DUPOY, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

GAS-METER.

s'PEciFIcATIoN forming part of Lettere Patent No. 715,564, datedDecember 9, 1902.

Application filed April 24, 1901.

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEANROMAIN DUPoY, engineer, of 36 Rue Guersant, inthe city of Paris,Republic of France, have inventedlmprovements inGas-Meters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to an improved gasmeter, which is essentiallycharacterized by the employment of a special arrangement of oscillatingbell. In-this improved meter the oscillating bell is divided intocompartments of spiral form extending from the center, at which the gasto be measured is admitted, toward the periphery, Where the gas isdelivered after measurement, the said compartments being boundedlaterally by partitions having a spirally-curved surface, all thevertical sections of which form arcs of circles having for their centerthe point of oscillation of the bell. The bell is inclined above theplane of the liquid, and thus receives under the action of the gas acircular undulatory movement, without, however, turning upon itself,while the upper end of the spindle, which is fixed in the pivot of thebell, is caused to describe a circle. When the gas enters acompartment,` that part of the same which corresponds to the point ofadmission of the gas is subjected to a higher pressure than that whichexists in the part corresponding to the outlet, the result of thesedifferences of pressure which are successively produced in the severalcompartments being a series of forces which impart to the bell anundulatory oscillating motion, whereby a movement of rotation istransmitted to the shaft driving the mechanism by which the outflow ofgas is registered. InA this bellchamberthe several vertical gas-spacesare for each compartment comprised between two arcs of circlesconcentric with the .point of oscillation of the bell, so that there cannever be vany liquid reaction upon the bell, no deformation of thevolume of gas during the oscillation of the bell, no friction, and nocompression in the compartments, but, on the contrary, a slightexpansion,which will assist. in the delivery from the compartments. In

order to insure perfect accuracy in the measuring, the bell is heldinsuspension in a frame carried by a balanced float, so that the cen-Serial No. 57,267. (N0 model.)

ter of oscillation will always be at the level of the liquid.

My improved oscillating bell-chamber is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure l represents a vertical section of thegas-meter.' Fig. 2 is a section on line C D, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section on line A B, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a vertical section ofa modified method of suspending the bell.

The same letters of reference denote like parts in the several figures.

My improved gas-meter comprises a casing a, containing a liquid b-suchas oil, glycerin, nc-the casing being provided with an overflow c,closed by a stopper d, and with a gasp inlet pipe c at its lower part.The lower part a of the casing has a iiange o', upon which is iitted the{iange y of the cover y, which carries the registering mechanism. Thecover is also provided with a lling-orifice closed by a stopper a.Within the casing beneath the cover is mounted a skeleton frame f, so asto allow the liquid to pass in and to pass out of said frame. The frame,which is of annular form, is supported by a peripheral annular iioat g,whereby to maintain the bell in suspension. The frame f has a centralsocket h to receive a spherical pivot t', upon which as an axis theoscillating bell j is supported and oscillates. This oscillating bell isdic vided into six, as shown, or other number of Vbe seen from Figs. 2and 3 that the admission to each compartment ceases before theexitoriflce emerges above the level of the liquid. The gasentering themeter by pipe e passes up throughv the branch pipes e' c, which extendabove Ithe level of the liquid, and on entering a compartment .fr exertsa pressure in IOO this compartment, which at its extremity is onlysubjected to the outlet-pressure, the resultant of these pressureshavingfor effect to communicate to the bell an angular oscillatingmovement. The successive entrance of gas into the different compartmentsproduces a series of successive forces which communicate to the bell acircular undulatory movement. The space filled by the gas goes onincreasing in capacity until the moment when by the immersion of theinlet end of the compartment in the liquid the gas can no longer enter;but the gas continues its action upon the next following compartment,and so on. The gas after thus acting upon the bell iills the spacebeneath the cover, passes thro ugh orifice k, beneath valve Z, formingpart of the fioat mechanism, through oriiices in the protectingdisk m,and thence through outlet n into the service-pipe. The outlet-orifice kis regulated by a diaphragm 7c', having an orilice corresponding to theoutput of the meter at normal speed. The circular undulatory movement ofthe bell is transmitted by the arm o and crank p, which receivescircular movement, to a screw q, driving a worm-wheel r, which by meansof another screw q drives a wheel s, fast on a spindle/mwhich drives thetrain of gearing of the counter fr, whereby the supply of gas isregistered. The liquid-level having been produced by the introduction ofa permanent liquid,the plug of the Iilliug-orifice is sealed, andlikewise the plug CZ of the overiow. Should the level be accidentallyaltered, the position of the float will be altered to the same extentand the transmission of movement from q to 1f will be eliected withinthe limits of this change of position. The position of the floatsystemis limited in the upward direction by the height of the inlet-oriices ofthe gas and in the downward direction by the outlet-valve.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification of the mode of suspension of thebell, in which the pivot t is itself the float.

In my improved meter the liquid employed is never in communication withthe atmosphere, and consequently the proper working ot' the apparatus isconstantly insured, whatever may be the pressure of the gas to bemeasured.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An oscillating bellforgas-meters divided into compartments of spiralform extending from the center at which the gas to be measured isadmitted toward the periphery where the gas is delivered after havingbeen measured, the said compartments being laterally bounded bypartitions having a spirallycurved surface all the vertical sections ofwhich form arcs of circles having for their center the point ofoscillation of the bell, the latter being held in suspension within aframe supported by a float so balanced that the center of oscillationwill always be at the level of the liquid in order that during theoscillation of the bell, there cannot be any liquid reaction, anydeformation and any compression of the gas, substantially as described.

2. .A driving member for gas-meters, consisting of a receptacle mountedto have circular und ulatory movement and divided into compartments ofspiral form, the divisions between adjacent compartments in axialsection being arcs of circles concentric with the center of movement ofthe receptacle.

3. A driving member for gas-meters consistingof a float-supportedreceptacle, mounted to have circular undulatory movement and providedwith a plurality of compartments, the divisions between the compartmentsbeing curved to arcs of circles concentric with the point of oscillationof the bell to form spiral compartments, as set forth.

4. A gas-meter, comprising a casing adapted to contain a liquid, afloat-supported receptacle mounted in the casing to have circularundulatory movement and provided with spiral compartments, the divisionsbetween the compartments in axial section being arcs of circlesconcentric with the center of movement of the receptacle, a registeringdevice and means for operating the registering device from the pivot ofthe receptacle, as set forth.

5. Agas-meter, comprising a casing adapted to contain aliquid,afloat-supported frame in the casing and having guided movement therein,a receptacle pivotally mounted in the frame to have circular undulatorymovement, said receptacle having spiral compartments, the divisionsbetween the compartments in axial section being arcs of circlesconcentric with the center of movement of the receptacle, a registeringdevice, and a driving connection between the pivot ot' the receptacleand registering device, as set forth.

6. A gas-meter, comprising a casing adapted to contain a liquid andhaving an inlet and outlet, a iioat-supported frame in the casing andhaving guided movement therein, a valve carried by the frame andcontrolling the outlet of the casing, a bell mounted in the frame tohave circular undulatory movement and provided with spiral compartments,

a registering device, and means for operating the latter from the bell,as set forth.

7. Agas-meter, comprising a casing adapted to contain a liquid andhaving an inlet and outlet, the inlet extending into the casing andhaving a forked end, a ioat-supported frame mounted in the casing andinto which the forked end of the inlet projects, said frame having acentral socket, a valve carried by the frame and controlling the outletof the casing, a bell having its pivot seated in the socket of the frameand from which pivot an arm projects, said bell being provided withspiral compartments, a registering device, and means for operating thelatter from the arm of the pivot of the bell, as set forth.

IOO

IIO

8. A gas-meter, comprising a casing adapted to contain a liquid andhaving an inlet and outlet, a oat-supported frame in the casing andhaving guided movement on the inlet of the casing, a valve carried bythe frame and controlling the outlet, a bell pivotally mounted in theframe to have circular undulatory movement and provided with spiralcompartments, the pivot of the bell being provided with an armprojecting therefrom, a registering device, and operating means betweenthe arm ofthe pivot of the bell and the registering device, as setforth.

9. A gasmeter, comprising a casing adapt` ed to contain a liquid, aframe provided with a float for supporting it in the casing, a bellhaving compartments in spiral form and pivoted in the frame by aspherical pivot to have circular undulatory movement, an arm projectingfrom the pivot of the bell, a screw mounted in the 4frame and providedat one end with a crank with which the arm of the pivot is connected, aregistering device, and gearing between the screw and registeringdevice, as set forth.

l0. A gas-meter, comprisinga casing adapted to contain a liquid, a framein the casing and provided with a loat,and carrying a valve adapted tobe seated on a seat in the upper part of the casing, a bell pivoted inthe frame to have circular undulatory movement and provided with spiralcompartments, a screw mounted in the frame and connected With the pivotof the bell to be operated thereby, and a registering device operatedfrom said screw, as set forth.

The foregoing specification of my improvements in gas-meters signed byme this 5th day of April, 1901.

JEAN ROMAIN DUPOY.

